Nurses, midwives, paramedics, allied health professionals and porters have been asked to accept or reject a Scottish government pay offer that would see their annual average salary increase by 5.5%.

Last week saw the Scottish government present a new pay offer to 170,000 NHS Agenda for Change staff backed by £448m for 2024-25.

While Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Neil Gray said it followed weeks of “constructive engagement” with unions, some union representatives expressed frustration with the long wait for an offer

The news comes as the Scottish government has said it faces a ‘very challenging environment’ in setting its budget for 2025-26, amidst a ‘lack of clarity’ from the UK government which is impacting Scotland’s pay review process.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland Director Colin Poolman said:

“It has taken months of pressure from the RCN and other health trade unions to get to this point.

“Nursing staff are rightly frustrated that the Scottish government has kept them waiting while the cost of living has continued to increase.”

RCN Scotland has now taken the offer to its members, who have until the 20of September to cast their vote.

It has not recommended that nursing staff reject or decline but says if staff vote to accept the pay rise  will seek implementation as soon as possible.

However, in a statement today, RCN Scotland said that if a majority of members reject, there is ‘no guarantee’ that the current offer will be available in the future.

Mr Poolman said:

“You are the ever-present, safety critical workforce across the whole of health and care. Current wages do not reflect this and still won’t after this award.  

“Fair pay is vital to recruit and retain nursing staff, to fill the thousands of vacant nurse jobs and to ensure people receive the care they deserve.”

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has also taken the offer to its members, with its senior negotiating officer for Scotland saying the above-inflation offer is a “good step in the right direction”.

Meanwhile, Unite Scotland’s Health Committee has revealed that it will also ballot its NHS Scotland Agenda for Pay members – with a recommendation to accept it.

Unite represents staff across the NHS including estates workers, porters, the ambulance service, medical equipment management, and scientists.

The pay package, which Unite describes as the ‘best negotiable’, will see the minimum uplift for the lowest paid workers of £1,278 per year and a new hourly rate of £12.71 if accepted.

James O’Connell, Unite lead negotiator for the health sector, said:

“Unite has been engaged in constructive discussions with the Scottish government for number of weeks to get a credible pay offer on the table for our valued NHS workers.

“We believe that the current 5.5% offer is the best negotiable under the present circumstances, and it represents an increase above inflation.”

“Unite will now initiate a ballot of our NHS Scotland membership and it will come with a recommendation to accept. The final decision is always in the hands of our membership who will ultimately decide whether the deal is good enough.”  

Read more: RCN: Staff need to see light at the end of the tunnel;  Latest pay offer for NHS “deeply insulting”; New ‘record’ pay offer for 160,000 NHS staff; Pay and balance “crucial” to stop doctors leaving; Urgent workforce reforms needed for Scotland's NHS